Stacking device



(No Model.) W. BARRY.

STAGKING DEVICE.

No. 585,017. Patented June.22,1897.

@M m M e IIIII Ilumll III Il* ll UNTTED- STATES PATENT Ormea.

i VILLIAM BARRY, OF SYRAOUSE, NFV YORK.

STACKING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,017, dated June 22,1897.

Original application iiled August 10, 1892, Serial No. 442 ,715.578,096.

Divided and this application filed February 5, 1896. Serial No. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BARRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stacking Devices;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in stacking devices, andis iiled as a division of my application filed August 10, '1892, SerialNo. ,$2,715.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved stacking orpacking device simple and durable in construction and efcient inoperation.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and incombinations and arrangements of parts, as more fully described andparticularly pointed out hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevationv'of a portion of a mail-markin g machine, parts being broken away,showing a stacker embodying the invention of this application. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of a portion of the pusher portion of the stacker.

In the drawings the reference-letter ct indi cates the frame of amail-marking machine of any suitable or desirable construction.

h is a receiving-way of said machine, into which the pieces ofmail-matter are separately discharged in an upright position, preferablythrough an opening in the side wall or guide of said way and by anysuitable means. (Not here shown.) This receiving-way has an end wall b,provided with the series of vertical slots b2, which are continued downthrough the licor of the way at said end, the slots b3 in the floor ofthe way being elongated longitudinally of the way, substantially asshown. In the arrangement shown the pieces of mailinatter are dischargedinto. the way immediately behind said vertical end wall b and andpresses the same rearwardly and against the mass of letters in the way.

The letter-engaging portion of the pusher, as specifically shown in thedrawings, comprises a series of upright slats, strips, or fingers c,passing up through the slots b3 in the oor of the way and arranged tomove back and forth through said slots in the end Wall, as hereinafterdescribed. These strips are secured rigidly to and extend up fromahorizontally-arranged cross piece or head c beneath the iioor or planeof the way and in the drawings shown formed of a tube and provided witha downwardly-extending shank body or portion c2, at its lower portionhaving a lateral pivot or pintle c3, formed in any suitable manner andsliding in a vertical slot d and constituting the fulcrum of the pusher.

The slot d can be arranged at any suitable part of the machine, althoughshown in the drawings as formed in a plate d', secured to and projectingbeyond an upright of the machine-frame. The plate is shown provided withhorizontal slots cl2, through which the securing-bolts cl3 pass into theframe to clamp the plate in the desired position and yet permit lateralor horizontal adjustment thereof to shift or vary the horizontalposition of the pusherfulcrum to Vary the stroke of the pusher, as willbe made clear hereinafter.

In the drawings the operating mechanism is specifically shown as acrank-shaft e, arranged horizontally and mounted or j ournaled insuitable portions of the framework of the machine with one end extendedto be connected with suitable rotating means or parts of the machine,(not here showm) this end of the shaft being shown broken away, as theshaft can be connected With and rotated from any movable or rotatingpart. This shaft extends through and turns in said tubular portion c',and at the end thereof has the cranks e', extending therefrom in thesame direction. It will thus be seen that as the crank-shaft revolves inthe direction of the arrow the letter engaging portion of the pusherwill move up through the slots in the floor of the way and rearwardlythrough said slots and the end wall against the letter just dischargedinto the way and will carry said letter i'earwardly and gradually movedown through the said floor-slots, and then when not projecting abovethe door of the way will move back beneath the saine to itsstartingpoiiit to start in behind the next letter entering the way, theletter-engaging portion moving in an elliptical or approximatelyelliptical path into and out of the way and above and below the same,although I do not wish to limit myself to a movement above and below theway, nor to a movenieiitin an elliptical path. During this movement, asjust speciiically described, the pusher rocks on its tulcrum, whichmoves longitudinally of the slot d and is controlled so that itsletter-engaging portion moves in the proper path by the walls of theslot formed by the plate d' or in any other suitable manner.

The lateral or horizontal throw of the letterengaging portion of thepusher can be varied or changed by means of shifting the movablefulcruin of the pusher through the medium of the adjustable plate, butit should be noted tlia-t the pusher moves in a predetermined path aftersaid plate has been adjusted.

It is evident that various changes might be made iii the forms,constructions,and arrangements of the parts described without departingfrom the spirit or scope of my invention, and that I do not limit myinvention to the exact constructions herein set forth.

IVhat I claim isl. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of aframe, a receiving-way having a slotted iioor and front wall, a plate orineinbei secured to the frame beneath said way and having avei'tically-elongated guide or way, a swinging pusher havingverticallydisposed letter-engaging strips movable in said slots into andout et the way and having a fulcruin at its lower portion confined tomove in said guide, and rotary actuating means applied to the pusher.

2. In combination, a frame, a receivingway, a stacker comprising a tubehaving a series of parallel separated letter-engaging fingers rigidtherewith and an arm or shank rigid with the tube having a lateralpintle or pivot, an elongated guide in which said pivot is confined, anda crank-shaft in said tube, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a frame, a receivingway, a swinging stackereoiitiiied to move in an encircling or elliptical path into and out ofthe receiving-way, and having a movable fiilcruin or pivot, an elongatedgiiidcway in which said fulcruin is confined to turn and reciprocate,and actuating means, substantially as described.

l. rl"he combination with a horizontallydisposed receiving-way into thefront end of which the pieces arc separately discharged in an uprightposition, and a frame, of a driveshaft horizontally mounted in the frameopposite the front end of the way and having the cranked portionopposite the way and in length approximately equal to the width of theway, a sleeve loose on and of approximately thc same length as Saidcranked portion ot' the shaft, letter-engaging fingers rigid with saidtube and arranged to move into and out of the way and enter the frontend el' the way behind and engaging the flat face of each piece, a shankrigid with and extending down from the tube and having a movablefuleruni at its lower end, and controlling means determining the path ofmovement of said lingers, substantially as described.

5. A receiving-way inte which the pieces are separately discharged in anupright position, in combination with a supporting-frame, a swingingstacker having its letter-engaging portion movable in an encircling pathinto and out of the front `end of the way to engage each letter after ithas entered the way, a part rigid with the frame having an elongatedguideway, the stacker having a tulcruni movable in and controlled in itsmovement by said guideway, and aetuatingmeaiis applied to the stackerbetween said fulcrum and letter-engaging portion, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a supporting-trainehaving a laterally-adjustable noriiially-rigid member provided with anelongated guide, a letter-receiving way into which the letters areseparately discharged, a stacker having its letterengaging portionmovable into and out of the way in an encircling path and provided atits outer end with a shank having a fulcruin moving and coniincd in saidguide, and rotary actuating means connected with the stacker between itsletter-engaging portion and fulcruin, substantially as described.

7. In a mail-marking machine, the combination of a horizontal]y-disposedreceivingway into which the pieces of mail matter are discharged in avertical positionon edge and transverse of the way, a frame, anactuatingshaft horizontally mounted iii the frame immediately adjacentto and opposite the front end of the way, a vertically-disposed stackerat the front end of the way comprising a cross-head, iin gers extendingvertically therefrom, and a shank depending from said head, said shank,head and iin gers rigid with each other, the front end of thereceiving-way having a rigid vertically-slotted wall through which thelingers swing, the lower end of the shank having a lateral pivotdirectly confined to a stationary part of the frame directly bcneath thefront end of said way, said actiiating-shaft ecceiitrieally connectedwith the stacker directly beneath the front end of the way,substantially Jas described.

S. In a inail-marking machine, the combination of a frame, areceiving-way into which the pieces are discharged in an uprightposition, a stacker havin g its letter-engaging portion moving in anencircling path directly at the front end of the receiving-way andengaging the iiat face of each letter and pushing the saine in thereceiving-way out et the path IOO IIO

of the following letter, and Comprising the horizontal tube opposite thefront end of the Way, the series of separate letter-engaging fingersrigid with and extending from said tube into the way, the shank rigidwith and extending down from the tube and at its lower end having afulerum confined to inove in a predetermined path, and theactuatingshaft ooniined in the frame opposite the front end of the wayand passing through said tube 1o with the crank-arms at the ends of thetube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM BARRY. lVitnesses:

PEROIVAL A. RIDDEN, H. E. Down.

